


Dual Death

by FaeMytho, GallifreyanPal



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dreamswap (Undertale), Angst, Blood, Character Death, Other, Seriously death, because of course it is, because ouch, but blood, i know mine did, not enough to warrant the archive warning i dont thinl, oh and, your heart will die too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 17:29:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16644626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FaeMytho/pseuds/FaeMytho, https://archiveofourown.org/users/GallifreyanPal/pseuds/GallifreyanPal
Summary: Nightmare, Error, and Cross find themselves in too tight of a spot.Dream pays the price for it.In other words, a collab fic Galli and I have been working on for a while!





	1. Cause

**Author's Note:**

> WELCOME TO THE DUAL DEATH FIC that i think has been in progress for... 5 months oops  
> all because i couldnt type up my part but shhhh
> 
> ANYWAYS YEAH TAKE THE FIC
> 
> -galli

A portal slowly opened on the dimly lit street corner and Cross was shoved through the opening. Yelling and the sound of explosions came through the portable before Nightmare, too, flung himself through the portal, letting out a Tarzan-like cry and tackling Cross to the ground. Error was the only one to gingerly step through the portal, closing the gap behind him. 

"Are you  _trying_  to get us all killed?" Error said, out of breath but smiling down at Cross and Nightmare.

Cross looked up. "I'm not, but I can't speak for this idiot," he said, pointing towards Nightmare.

"Oh, shut up, I'm trying to stay alive as much as either of you," Nightmare said, propping himself up and blowing a few strands of dark hair out of his face.

"Lies," Error retorted, extending a gloved hand to help Nightmare up. Their palms only made brief contact, but it was enough for Nightmare to hoist himself up.

"No, he's right," Cross interjected, brushing himself off and standing up, then looking over to Error, "he tries. But that doesn't mean he succeeds."

Cross let out a soft 'ow' as Nightmare socked him in the shoulder.

Error snorted. "Right, of course."

"Yeah, okay, where are we?" Nightmare asked, trying to change the subject.

Error blinked for a couple of seconds before swearing under his breath. 

"Horror-verse? Fell-verse?" Cross asked, voice low.

"Fell-verse," Error confirmed, hurriedly ushering Nightmare and Cross along the street. "We can't be out in the open like this. Move, we gotta move!"

The three of them ran down the sidewalk, trying to be as quick and quiet as possible. They turned another corner between two buildings, shimmying past a few trash cans and then ducking behind them.

"Everyone good?" Error asked, looking over to Cross and Nightmare.

Nightmare shivered and rubbed his arm. "Yeah, but I'm cold and cramped and I've got a wedgie."

Error face-palmed, looking over to Cross, whose tufts of white hair were sticking above the trash cans just a bit. "Cross, duck down more," he said. 

Cross did so, and then Nightmare huffed irritably, shuffling around. "I'm gonna check if the coast is clear," Nightmare said, then quickly popped his head above the trash can.

He was met with the barrel of a gun pressed right to his forehead.

"Shit," Nightmare hissed.

A man with dark hair and a grey fedora stood in front of thhe trash can, holding a gun to Nightmare's forehead. "Out from behind the cans. You and your friends," he said, tone more of a threatening drawl than anything else.

"Nightmare, you idiot," Cross hissed, slowly coming out from behind the garbage can.

"The other one too," the man snapped.

"All right, all right!" Error said, slowly standing up as well. "We're not here to cause trouble."

"Yeah, sure. You've crossed some territorial lines, buddy. Either you're dumb or it was intentional, but neither make me happy," the man growled. "You in the purple, step out here."

"Territory?" Cross asked.

"Gangs," Nightmare replied, complying and stepping off from behind the garbage can. "Just our luck, it's a freaking MafiaFell. Look, we don't want any trouble, we're not a part of any gangs-"

"Yeah, sure, say that as you're wearing a Moonlight symbol, I've heard 'em all."

"Moonlight? You mean my pin?" Nightmare asked, looking down at the clasp for his cape. "I - that's just a pin, it doesn't mean anything!"

The man growled, then continued, "If you don't cooperate I'll just shoot you and be done with it."

"Whoa, little hasty there!" Nightmare said, raising his arms in surrender.

"Hasty?" Try me. Keep playin' dumb and that'll also give me reason to pull this friggin' trigger."

"We're not part of any gangs!" Nightmare insisted, stepping forward and slowly holding out his arms in a defensive gesture. "Please, put the gun down."

The man paused. Then he started to lower his gun.

"Nice try."

A gunshot rang out.

Nightmare yelped and his leg buckled beneath him. Cross and Error immediately cried out in protest, but with the man's gun pointing at Nightmare they didn't dare move.

"Quit it! I told ya to cooperate or I'd shoot ya!" the man growled, stepping forward so that he stood by Nightmare, pressing the barrel of the gun to his temple.

Nightmare took heaving gasps, trying not to focus on the pain. "A-asshole, I told you I'm not-"

"Shut up!" the man growled, much more aggressive than before. "Now you two-" He gestured with his free hand to Error and Cross. "-are going to tell me why I found ya in our territory. Capiche?"

"We already told you, we-" Cross started.

"Not the answer I'm lookin' for, buddy," the man said, pressing the gun into Nightmare's head harder than before.

"We're not gang affiliated!" Nightmare insisted, an edge of panic in his voice.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" the man snapped, looking down at Nightmare.

Error opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden chill of fear and anxiety washed over him, and his words died in his throat. He looked down at Nightmare. "Night. Your aura."

"I know, I know!" Nightmare replied, but his panic only seemed to grow as his leg bled.

"I'll only ask one more time," the man with the gun asked. "Why are you here?"

"We're not gang affiliated!" Cross exclaimed, desperation creeping into his voice. "Please, we don't want anyone else to get hurt any further."

"Like hell you ain't affiliated!" the man barked. The aggression was practically radiating off of him in waves.

"Nightmare, turn down your aura, it's getting worse!" Error repeated, not even bothering to say it under his breath this time.

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" Nightmare gasped, trying to focus away from the pain in his leg. "It's not working!"

"What aura?" the gunman snapped. "Stop tryin' to avoid my question!"

"What do you mean it's not working?!?" Error continued, ignoring the gunman.

"I - it's not! I'm losing control of it!"

"Try to get it back!"

"What aura?!?"

"Guys, this isn't the best time to ignore the guy with the gun!"

"I can't get it back!"

"You'll cause him to display more aggression, get back control, Nightmare!"

"I said I'm trying, god damn it!"

"Shut up, all of you, or I WILL SHOOT."

"I can't get it back, oh god, I'm sorry, my focus is shit, I'm sorry I-" Nightmare started to mutter in a panic.

A second gunshot rang out.

There was a spray of blood that covered a patch on the gunman's clothing. Nightmare suddenly collapsed to the side.

"NO!" Cross screamed, reaching out and summoning his knife. Before the man could ready his gun again, the knife was through his chest.

More blood dribbled onto the pavement.

"Nightmare-" Cross gasped weakly, turning towards his fallen friend. Error was already by his side, hands trembling violently. Cross rushed to kneel down by them, hands shaking as he gently ran a hand through Nightmare's hair, gripping it and turning his head to the side so the wound was open to the air.

"No, no, no," Cross sobbed, leaning in to press his forehead to Nightmare's, blinking as tears dropped down his cheeks. He met the blank, lifeless stare of his friend, as if looking at him long enough would convince him this wasn't real and that Nightmare would come back to life any moment now.

A hand on Cross's arm caused him to completely lean on the person to his side - Error. His body shook, heaving with the sobs that had no end in sight. And when Cross felt another wet droplet on his head, he knew he wasn't the only one who couldn't keep it together anymore.

In the blink of an eye, by something that seemed so inconsequential and frivolous, Nightmare was gone.


	2. Effect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heres my part! i had a lot of fun writing it!! :)
> 
> -fae

Dream could say his day had been going well, or he could tell the truth and say that he was undeniably, undoubtedly, bored as all hell.

It was one day after another, the same things every day dragging him down. He knew he needed a break, but damn it all if he wasn't going to finish all his work before he took one. But as there was more and more work to complete every day, he could never find the time to actually get up and take a break, too worried about letting his work pile up.

Ink often told him that his reasoning was stupid. Ink was under the impression that one was supposed to take breaks  _ during _ work.

Dream sighed, putting down his pen and running a hand through his hair, leaving it messy. Maybe Ink was right, for once. He yawned, leaning forward and resting his head on one of his hands, gazing down at the document he was supposed to be reading through and approving. The words began to blur and that was when he decided, just this once, that Ink could have been right.

“Oi, boss,” Ink barged into his office and startling him, although he made sure not to show it. Speak of the devil, and he shall appear, or however that saying went. “I just got this report from-”

“Haven't you ever heard of knocking, Ink?” Dream sighed for what felt like the hundredth time, lifting his head up and folding his arm back down on his desk. Ink groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Whatever.” He drawled, before looking back down at the documents in his hands. “Anyways, I got this report from a squad that ran into Nightmare and his friends. One of our outposts in an Underoblivion timeline. They escaped. We aren’t sure where.” Ink rattled off, before shoving the report on Dream’s desk. Dream skimmed over the details of said universe, finding whether they had liberated it or not and where the inhabitants were.

“Can you add this to Nightmare’s file? I’ll look over it later.” Dream held the document out, but Ink didn't take it. Dream frowned.

“When was the last time you took a break?” Ink crossed his arms, and Dream put the documents back down.

“That is none of your concern.” Dream narrowed his eyes at the other, and Ink groaned again, leaning on Dream’s desk and getting up in his boss’s face.

“Dream, c’mon, you need to take care of yourself. All this will still be here. If you don't take breaks, then you won't be.”

“I think I’m fine, Ink,” Dream argued back.

“Dream.”

“Ink.”

“Ugh, you're such a pain.” Ink groaned yet again, leaning back. He crossed his arms and glared at Dream. “We could have gone and gotten lunch or something, but since you seem married to your work, I’ll just go by myself. Alone. With nobody else. I'll be lonely.” He sighed, turning to slowly trudge out of the office. “Maybe I’ll ask one of the guards that are on break, like they should be, because taking breaks is healthy and normal.”

Dream sighed, pressing his lips into a thin line, reminiscent of his current patience. He pushed the report that had just brought in aside and stood, striding past a smugly grinning Ink.

“Don't push it.” He warned, grabbing Ink’s hand and pulling him along.

“Geez, so demanding.” Ink complained, despite his smile. He slipped his fingers in between Dream’s, humming happily as they made their way through Justice Reigns.

“Okay, where should we go?” Dream asked, turning to face Ink as they continued, smiling slightly. Ink grinned wider and opened his mouth to answer, but then frowned. He reached up towards Dream’s face with his free hand, stopping the other.

“Ink? What are-?”

Ink brushed Dream’s hair away from his ear, and when pulled his hand away from Dream’s face, his fingertips were covered in blood.

“Dream?”

They weren't smiling anymore.

“Ink, why is there blood-?” Dream reached up to the side of his head, cold horror emerging on his face when his fingers found the edges of a small hole, just above his ear. His hand came away stained with glistening red.

“Oh God,” He muttered, staring at his hand, refusing to believe it. “No, there’s no way that little idiot-”

“Dream, what’s happening?” Ink worried, and upon seeing the other’s hand, his eyes widened, and he turned back just in time to catch Dream falling forward with a grunt.

He lowered Dream to the ground, head in his lap as one of the guards that were accompanying them ran off, hopefully for a medic. Ink didn't care, and when he turned Dream’s head to the side and found the bullet hole, he couldn't help the scream that ripped itself from his throat.

“Dream?!”

People from all around looked over, and a couple people screamed in panic at the sight of Dream lying on the ground, blood beginning to pool from his head onto the carpet. Guards rushed in from all around, making a protective circle around Ink and Dream as people began to flood from everywhere towards them, worried and anxious murmurs beginning to form a crowd.

It was happening so fast, but Ink could only focus on the man in his arms, who was shaking and becoming paler by the second. He wasn't dead yet - that meant he could be saved...! Right?

“Ink,” Dream coughed, reaching up to rest his hand on the other’s cheek. The roaring crowd around them dulled into white noise as Ink, beginning to tremble with widened eyes, gently grabbed the wrist of the hand that now rested on his face. His other arm was around Dream, having pulled him up to lay his head against Ink’s chest. His clothes were getting blood on them. He didn't care.

“Yeah, Dream?” He answered, and oh God he could even  _ feel _ Dream’s aura fading. Where was the damn medical help?

“Ink, this is... This is it. Nightmare got himself killed. I'm dying.” Dream coughed again, the light of life starting to fade from his eyes.

“No, no, please, you can't go yet,” Ink found himself muttering, and Dream simply smiled.

“I love you, Ink. I’m so sorry I never said it enough. I want you to-” Dream’s voice grew weaker, and he grimaced. “I want you to know how sorry I am for not being a better partner.”

Ink could almost feel the tears attempting to stream down his face. He leaned down and crushed his lips against Dream’s, kissing him one last time.

When he pulled back, Dream smiled at him again, his eyes fluttering shut.

And then he was gone.

The roaring of the people of Justice Reigns hit Ink all at once, and he curled over Dream’s body, trying to hold back tears. Dream was gone, and so was his aura, and that meant he could feel the influence of his vials again.

But that didn't mean he necessarily wanted to.


End file.
